Author(s): Fred Westrupp

History | Aotearoa New Zealand Non-Fiction

The history of early central New Zealand colonisation from a maritime perspective.

From 1841 to 1925, central New Zealand's Blind Bay (now Tasman Bay) was enlivened by the white sails of a "mosquito fleet" plying local waters and beyond. The earliest of these seagoing little ships, amiably known as hookers, were often built from the bush, some only about 30 feet in length. All were able to 'take the mud' to discharge and load on beaches and in estuaries. For the 'NZ Land Company' pioneer settlers, struggling to cope in difficult terrain, these little ships were their lifeline.
Embedded within this meticulously researched book is the social and economic colonial history of central New Zealand, viewed from the perspective of the working-class seafarers who owned and operated vessels in the trading fleet of the C19 and early C20 era.